On Jan. 28, 2023, a 53-year-old woman was staying at the Westside Emergency Housing Center with her husband when she died.

According to an incident report, Gina Kirwin’s husband told staff that she was not breathing and when they went to check on her she was already cold to the touch. Kirwin’s husband told police that she “suffers from several medical issues and has used narcotics in the past.” Drug paraphernalia was found in her socks, according to the report. 

Throughout 2023, another eight people would die at the Westside shelter — more than any previous year. And this year seems on track to surpass that — there have already been four deaths there as of late March. 

Katie Simon, a spokesperson for the city’s Health, Housing & Homelessness department, said multiple factors could explain the increase in deaths in recent years — including that its usage has doubled since 2020, from an average of 300 guests to 600.   

The WEHC went from a winter shelter to a year-round overnight shelter in March 2019 and then further expanded its operations to be open 24/7 in July 2020, she said.

“Nearly one-third of that population are seniors 60 and over, many of whom are medically vulnerable,” Simon said. “We also frequently see guests who enter the WEHC directly from the hospital without vital medications.”

She said the population includes those with disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, serious mental illness, depression, and issues with substance use, all of which can create a higher risk of death.

“We also know that unhoused people can get inadequate care at medical facilities, often due to mental health issues,” Simon added.

She said a new medical director recently reviewed the 13 deaths over the past 15 months and found that most were from natural causes and only two were from drug use. 

Those involved in homelessness research note, however, that death by natural causes should come with the caveat that individuals experiencing homelessness die at a higher rate, and face substantially higher health risks (even when they are sheltered), compared to the general population.

The city has put out a request for proposals for the next contractor to run the WHEC and Simon said organizations will be able to bid on running the facility as a whole or specific dorms for specialized populations — like older adults. 

“If the structure of the operations changes, there may be the opportunity to tailor care and services to these sub-populations,” Simon said.

She said in the longer term, the city is building out Medical Respite at the Gateway Center to provide shelter for people who have been discharged from the hospital or need more comprehensive medical care.

As for Kirwin, court documents detail a difficult past couple of years. City Desk ABQ was unable to reach her husband or other family members. 

Since at least 2021, Kirwin, her husband and their son had been living in an RV, which they would park outside organizations that provide services for the homeless, including HopeWorks and Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, according to court documents. The couple had been married 34 years, but in 2022 Kirwin told police her husband had started using drugs during the previous two years.

City Desk ABQ compiled a list of those who died at the WHEC from police incident reports and court documents. Although numerous family members and friends were called, no one could be reached. 

Jan. 8. 2023: Armando Calderon, 57

An employee at the shelter found Calderon unresponsive and half out of his bed. Calderon’s friend told police he had not been doing well and that he had a “possible heart condition as well as seizures.” An employee echoed this, telling police that Calderon’s health had been declining recently but he did not want to go to the hospital. The man who slept in the bunk closest to him told police Calderon had been sleeping more recently and had been having seizures. 

Feb. 4, 2023: Mark Ahlstrom, 70

A man who slept in a bed close to Ahlstrom said he had gone outside to smoke and when he came back inside, he found Ahlstrom slumped over. He notified staff, who performed CPR and used Narcan, but neither worked. 

Ahlstrom had faced eviction proceedings from a Northeast Albuquerque apartment complex in the fall of 2021 for unpaid rent of a little over $111 but the case was dismissed.

Feb. 16, 2023: Sharon Branham, 53

Shelter residents reported that they’d seen Branham walking around earlier that morning and falling down twice. The last time he fell he remained unconscious and began vomiting blood. Rescue personnel thought he may have had an internal rupture. 

The last case filed against him — for trespassing, a misdemeanor — was dismissed when he was found incompetent.

July 8, 2023: Patrick Hopkins, 47

Shelter security guards told police that Hopkins was in a fight in a dorm and they escorted him outside. They said Hopkins was pushing the guards as they walked across the dirt parking lot so one of them “performed an armbar takedown” and then handcuffed him and brought him back inside to wait for police to arrive. 

Medical staff examined a cut on Hopkins’ forehead and then the guard told him he’d get him some water “and then cut him loose.” Instead when the guard returned, Hopkins was unresponsive. The guards took off his handcuffs and rolled him over — he hit the back of his head on the ground — and then administered Narcan and performed CPR. Those efforts were unsuccessful.

Aug. 16, 2023: Fatima Rocha, 42

A shelter employee told police that she had noticed Rocha had been in the same position in her bed and hadn’t moved, so she went to go check on her. Other residents reported that Rocha was having a hard time breathing and said she had congestive heart failure but she didn’t want medication. They said she was using “Oxy” and possibly other substances. Fentanyl pills were found in her possession, according to an incident report. 

Her mother lives in Los Lunas, and the APD officers asked officers there to deliver the death notice. 

Oct. 30, 2023: Lisa Pinkney, born 1970

A shelter employee told police that Pinkney had not eaten anything that day, she had been coughing badly for about a month and had trouble breathing but refused medical help. She slept in a chair instead of a bed. The same employee said she saw Pinkney struggling to breathe and biting her tongue so she called an ambulance. Staff did CPR until paramedics arrived and took over, but Pinkney died.

According to court documents, Pinkney was evicted from her Northeast Albuquerque apartment in June 2022 when she was found to have owed $4,529.

Dec. 17, 2023: Sharon McKeller, 37

McKeller’s boyfriend found her unresponsive at the shelter. Paramedics tried to resuscitate her but they were unsuccessful. 

According to court documents, McKeller had been evicted in late July and ordered to pay $1,796. In early November, her brother was granted guardianship of her young daughter, who had been living with him for almost a year.

Dec. 26, 2023: James Scroggins Sr., born 1954

Scroggins was found slumped over on his bed by his son, who was also staying at the shelter. Scroggins’ son said his father did not have an appetite for the past day and a half and had COPD, emphysema and high blood pressure. He said his father smoked cigarettes but did not do drugs or drink alcohol. 

Jan. 6, 2024: Amos Vigil, 59

A shelter employee told police that he was called to check on VIgil by other residents who saw him lying on his side and not breathing. He said Vigil had been living there for the past two or three weeks and he had a respiratory infection that he had not been treated for. 

The Office of the Medical Investigator said it was likely Vigil had pneumonia that escalated. 

Vigil had been evicted from his apartment in Downtown Albuquerque in October.

Jan. 11, 2024: Jack Jones, born in 1949

Other residents at the shelter reported that Jones had been coughing and complaining of chest pain for a few hours before he was found unconscious. Rescue workers tried to revive him but were unable to. 

Feb. 16, 2024: Michelle Johnson, 51

Residents at the shelter told an employee that Johnson was slumped over and unresponsive. Employees called for help and began performing CPR until paramedics arrived, but they were unsuccessful. It appeared she had a cardiac arrest.

The previous year, in January 2023, Johnson had told an APD officer that she had recently been evicted and was living at a hotel, according to court documents. 

March 7, 2024: John Gregg, born in 1957 Employees said they saw that Gregg, a long-term resident of the shelter, had collapsed to the ground and was motionless. They said he had a long history of drug use, but a cause of death was not provided in an incident report.